Sustainable Food Technology Innovation: Transforming Safety, Digitalization, Alternative Proteins, and Personalized Nutrition in the Future Food System

Authors

  • Loso Judijanto IPOSS Jakarta

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59890/mjst.v3i6.251

Keywords:

Food Technology, Food Innovation, Sustainable Food Systems, Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Internet of Things, Alternative Protein, Functional Foods, Smart Packaging, Qualitative Literature Review

Abstract

This article discusses food technology innovations and trends in response to simultaneous pressures such as population growth, climate change, supply chain vulnerabilities, increased consumer health awareness, and sustainability demands. Using a qualitative literature review method, the article synthesizes reputable scientific literature on food biotechnology, non-thermal processing technologies, active and smart packaging, supply chain digitalization, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, blockchain, alternative proteins, functional foods, 3D food printing, and food waste valorization. The study results show that contemporary food technology is no longer just focused on extending shelf life and improving production efficiency, but is increasingly aimed at building a food system that is safe, nutritious, transparent, personalized, inclusive, and environmentally friendly. Biotechnology and genome editing play a role in improving crop resilience and biofortification; non-thermal technologies and smart packaging enhance food quality and safety; while AI, IoT, and blockchain strengthen prediction, monitoring, traceability, and data-driven decision-making. However, technology adoption still faces challenges like cost, production scale, regulations, ethics, consumer acceptance, data interoperability, and access gaps between developed and developing countries. This article concludes that the future of food technology requires integrating technical innovations with public policy, data governance, inclusive financing, risk communication, and cross-stakeholder collaboration to ensure a sustainable and fair transformation of the food system

References

A. Ayoub, “Integration of Artificial Intelligence in Food Processing Technologies,” Processes, vol. 14, no. 3, p. 513, Feb. 2026, doi: 10.3390/pr14030513.

A. Derossi, R. Caporizzi, M. Paolillo, and C. Severini, “Programmable texture properties of cereal-based snack mediated by 3D printing technology,” J. Food Eng., vol. 289, p. 110160, Jan. 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2020.110160.

A. Kamilaris, A. Fonts, and F. X. Prenafeta-Boldύ, “The rise of blockchain technology in agriculture and food supply chains,” Trends Food Sci. Technol., vol. 91, pp. 640–652, 2019, doi: 10.1016/j.tifs.2019.07.034.

A. Kumar, R. Liu, and Z. Shan, “Is Blockchain a Silver Bullet for Supply Chain Management? Technical Challenges and Research Opportunities,” Decis. Sci., vol. 51, no. 1, pp. 8–37, Feb. 2020, doi: 10.1111/deci.12396.

A. Sarker, R. Ahmmed, S. M. Ahsan, J. Rana, M. K. Ghosh, and R. Nandi, “A comprehensive review of food waste valorization for the sustainable management of global food waste,” Sustain. Food Technol., vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 48–69, 2024, doi: 10.1039/D3FB00156C.

B. D. Ávila Oliveira, R. S. Gomes, A. M. de Carvalho, E. M. F. Lima, U. M. Pinto, and L. R. da Cunha, “Revolutionizing food safety with electrochemical biosensors for rapid and portable pathogen detection,” Brazilian J. Microbiol., vol. 55, no. 3, pp. 2511–2525, Sep. 2024, doi: 10.1007/s42770-024-01427-6.

B. G. Nabi et al., “High-Pressure Processing for Sustainable Food Supply,” Sustainability, vol. 13, no. 24, p. 13908, Dec. 2021, doi: 10.3390/su132413908.

B. J. Anyibama et al., “Blockchain Application in Food Supply Chains: A Critical Review and Agenda for Future Studies,” Int. J. Innov. Sci. Res. Technol., pp. 2345–2352, Mar. 2025, doi: 10.38124/ijisrt/25feb1659.

B. Subashini and D. Hemavati, “Blockchain and IoT’s role in Agri Food Supply Chain Traceability,” in 2022 IEEE 9th Uttar Pradesh Section International Conference on Electrical, Electronics and Computer Engineering (UPCON), IEEE, Dec. 2022, pp. 1–6. doi: 10.1109/UPCON56432.2022.9986425.

C. A. Ligarda-Samanez et al., “Technological Innovations and Circular Economy in the Valorization of Agri-Food By-Products: Advances, Challenges and Perspectives,” Foods, vol. 14, no. 11, p. 1950, May 2025, doi: 10.3390/foods14111950.

C. B. Barrett et al., “Bundling innovations to transform agri-food systems,” Nat. Sustain., vol. 3, no. 12, pp. 974–976, Dec. 2020, doi: 10.1038/s41893-020-00661-8.

C. Béné et al., “Global drivers of food system (un)sustainability: A multi-country correlation analysis,” PLoS One, vol. 15, no. 4, p. e0231071, Apr. 2020, doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0231071.

C. Gao, “Genome engineering for crop improvement and future agriculture,” Cell, vol. 184, no. 6, pp. 1621–1635, Mar. 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.01.005.

C. J. Bryant, “Culture, meat, and cultured meat,” J. Anim. Sci., vol. 98, no. 8, Aug. 2020, doi: 10.1093/jas/skaa172.

D. Kumar, A. Yadav, R. Ahmad, U. N. Dwivedi, and K. Yadav, “CRISPR-Based Genome Editing for Nutrient Enrichment in Crops: A Promising Approach Toward Global Food Security,” Genetics, vol. 13, no. July, 2022, doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2022.932859.

D. Schaefer and W. M. Cheung, “Smart Packaging: Opportunities and Challenges,” Procedia CIRP, vol. 72, pp. 1022–1027, 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.procir.2018.03.240.

F. J. Barba et al., “Current applications and new opportunities for the use of pulsed electric fields in food science and industry,” Food Res. Int., vol. 77, pp. 773–798, Nov. 2015, doi: 10.1016/j.foodres.2015.09.015.

F. Mustafa and S. Andreescu, “Nanotechnology-based approaches for food sensing and packaging applications,” RSC Adv., vol. 10, no. 33, pp. 19309–19336, 2020, doi: 10.1039/D0RA01084G.

H. Ahari and S. P. Soufiani, “Smart and Active Food Packaging: Insights in Novel Food Packaging,” Front. Microbiol., vol. 12, Jul. 2021, doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.657233.

H. Cheng et al., “Recent advances in intelligent food packaging materials: Principles, preparation and applications,” Food Chem., vol. 375, p. 131738, May 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.131738.

H. Ding et al., “The Application of Artificial Intelligence and Big Data in the Food Industry,” Foods, vol. 12, no. 24, p. 4511, Dec. 2023, doi: 10.3390/foods12244511.

H. E. Bouis and A. Aaltzman, “Improving nutrition through biofortification: A review of evidence from HarvestPlus, 2003 through 2016,” Glob. Food Sec., vol. 12, no. March, pp. 49–58, 2017, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.2017.01.009.

H. Gao, C. Yan, W. Wu, and J. Li, “Application of Microfluidic Chip Technology in Food Safety Sensing,” Sensors, vol. 20, no. 6, p. 1792, Mar. 2020, doi: 10.3390/s20061792.

J. Paul and A. R. Criado, “The art of writing literature review: What do we know and what do we need to know?,” Int. Bus. Rev., vol. 29, no. 4, p. 101717, Aug. 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.ibusrev.2020.101717.

J. Sun, W. Zhou, L. Yan, D. Huang, and L. Lin, “Extrusion-based food printing for digitalized food design and nutrition control,” J. Food Eng., vol. 220, pp. 1–11, Mar. 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2017.02.028.

K. Aganovic et al., “Aspects of high hydrostatic pressure food processing: Perspectives on technology and food safety,” Compr. Rev. Food Sci. Food Saf., vol. 20, no. 4, pp. 3225–3266, Jul. 2021, doi: 10.1111/1541-4337.12763.

K. Chen, Y. Wang, R. Zhang, H. Zhang, and C. Gao, “CRISPR/Cas Genome Editing and Precision Plant Breeding in Agriculture,” Annu. Rev. Plant Biol., vol. 70, no. 1, pp. 667–697, Apr. 2019, doi: 10.1146/annurev-arplant-050718-100049.

K. J. Ong, J. Johnston, I. Datar, V. Sewalt, D. Holmes, and J. A. Shatkin, “Food safety considerations and research priorities for the cultured meat and seafood industry,” Compr. Rev. Food Sci. Food Saf., vol. 20, no. 6, pp. 5421–5448, Nov. 2021, doi: 10.1111/1541-4337.12853.

K. L. Hefferon, H. De Steur, F. J. A. Perez-Cueto, and R. Herring, “Alternative protein innovations and challenges for industry and consumer: an initial overview,” Front. Sustain. Food Syst., vol. 7, Nov. 2023, doi: 10.3389/fsufs.2023.1038286.

M. Anwer and M. Q. Wei, “Harnessing the power of probiotic strains in functional foods: nutritive, therapeutic, and next-generation challenges,” Food Sci. Biotechnol., vol. 33, no. 9, pp. 2081–2095, Jul. 2024, doi: 10.1007/s10068-024-01630-z.

M. C. Onwezen, E. P. Bouwman, M. J. Reinders, and H. Dagevos, “A systematic review on consumer acceptance of alternative proteins: Pulses, algae, insects, plant-based meat alternatives, and cultured meat,” Appetite, vol. 159, p. 105058, Apr. 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2020.105058.

M. Cunningham et al., “Shaping the Future of Probiotics and Prebiotics,” Trends Microbiol., vol. 29, no. 8, pp. 667–685, Aug. 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.tim.2021.01.003.

M. E. Todhunter, S. Jubair, R. Verma, R. Saqe, K. Shen, and B. Duffy, “Artificial intelligence and machine learning applications for cultured meat,” Front. Artif. Intell., vol. 7, Sep. 2024, doi: 10.3389/frai.2024.1424012.

M. Garg et al., “Biofortified Crops Generated by Breeding, Agronomy, and Transgenic Approaches Are Improving Lives of Millions of People around the World,” Front. Nutr., vol. 5, Feb. 2018, doi: 10.3389/fnut.2018.00012.

M. Herrero et al., “Innovation can accelerate the transition,” Nat. Food, vol. 1, no. 5, pp. 266–272, 2020.

M. Kip, R. Karapinar, G. Gungor, and D. I. Evler, “Personalized Nutrition and 3D Food Printing: An Innovative Approach in Nutrition,” Nuh Naci Yazgan Ulus. Saglik Bilim. Kongresi 2024, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 164–166, 2024, doi: 10.1007/s12393-023-09353-1.

M. L. Clodoveo, “Special Issue ‘Innovations in the Food System: Exploring the Future of Food,’” Foods, vol. 11, no. 15, p. 2183, Jul. 2022, doi: 10.3390/foods11152183.

M. Mushtaq et al., “Harnessing Genome Editing Techniques to Engineer Disease Resistance in Plants,” Front. Plant Sci., vol. 10, May 2019, doi: 10.3389/fpls.2019.00550.

M. Tziva, S. O. Negro, A. Kalfagianni, and M. P. Hekkert, “Understanding the protein transition: The rise of plant-based meat substitutes,” Environ. Innov. Soc. Transitions, vol. 35, pp. 217–231, Jun. 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.eist.2019.09.004.

N. Khan et al., “Potential Role of Technology Innovation in Transformation of Sustainable Food Systems: A Review,” Agriculture, vol. 11, no. 10, p. 984, Oct. 2021, doi: 10.3390/agriculture11100984.

N. Moslemy, E. Sharifi, M. Asadi‐Eydivand, and N. Abolfathi, “Review in edible materials for sustainable cultured meat: scaffolds and microcarriers production,” Int. J. Food Sci. Technol., vol. 58, no. 12, pp. 6182–6191, Dec. 2023, doi: 10.1111/ijfs.16703.

N. R. Rubio, N. Xiang, and D. L. Kaplan, “Plant-based and cell-based approaches to meat production,” Nat. Commun., vol. 11, no. 1, p. 6276, Dec. 2020, doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-20061-y.

P. Markowiak-Kopeć and K. Śliżewska, “The Effect of Probiotics on the Production of Short-Chain Fatty Acids by Human Intestinal Microbiome,” Nutrients, vol. 12, no. 4, p. 1107, Apr. 2020, doi: 10.3390/nu12041107.

P. Putnik et al., “Novel Food Processing and Extraction Technologies of High-Added Value Compounds from Plant Materials,” Foods, vol. 7, no. 7, p. 106, Jul. 2018, doi: 10.3390/foods7070106.

P. Roy, A. K. Mohanty, P. Dick, and M. Misra, “A Review on the Challenges and Choices for Food Waste Valorization: Environmental and Economic Impacts,” ACS Environ. Au, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 58–75, Mar. 2023, doi: 10.1021/acsenvironau.2c00050.

R. Sasikumar et al., “A comprehensive review on cold plasma applications in the food industry,” Sustain. Food Technol., vol. 3, no. 5, pp. 1251–1274, 2025, doi: 10.1039/D5FB00148J.

S. Chriki and J.-F. Hocquette, “The Myth of Cultured Meat: A Review,” Front. Nutr., vol. 7, Feb. 2020, doi: 10.3389/fnut.2020.00007.

S. F. P. D. Musa and S. Ariff Lim, “The fourth industrial revolution and the agri-food labour market: a systematic literature review,” J. Sci. Technol. Policy Manag., vol. 17, no. 4, pp. 924–943, Apr. 2026, doi: 10.1108/JSTPM-12-2023-0215.

S. Farooq et al., “Cold plasma treatment advancements in food processing and impact on the physiochemical characteristics of food products,” Food Sci. Biotechnol., vol. 32, no. 5, pp. 621–638, Apr. 2023, doi: 10.1007/s10068-023-01266-5.

S. Jafarzadeh, S. M. Jafari, A. Salehabadi, A. M. Nafchi, U. S. Uthaya Kumar, and H. P. S. A. Khalil, “Biodegradable green packaging with antimicrobial functions based on the bioactive compounds from tropical plants and their by-products,” Trends Food Sci. Technol., vol. 100, pp. 262–277, Jun. 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.tifs.2020.04.017.

S. Kalpana, S. R. Priyadarshini, M. Maria Leena, J. A. Moses, and C. Anandharamakrishnan, “Intelligent packaging: Trends and applications in food systems,” Trends Food Sci. Technol., vol. 93, pp. 145–157, Nov. 2019, doi: 10.1016/j.tifs.2019.09.008.

S. Kraus et al., “Literature reviews as independent studies: guidelines for academic practice,” Rev. Manag. Sci., vol. 16, no. 8, pp. 2577–2595, Nov. 2022, doi: 10.1007/s11846-022-00588-8.

W. A. Ansari et al., “Genome Editing in Cereals: Approaches, Applications and Challenges,” Int. J. Mol. Sci., vol. 21, no. 11, p. 4040, Jun. 2020, doi: 10.3390/ijms21114040.

W. Min et al., “From Plate to Production: Artificial Intelligence in Modern Consumer-Driven Food Systems,” ArXiv, Nov. 2023, doi: 10.48550/arXiv.2311.02400.

Y. Bouchbout, A.-E. Benrazek, B. Molnár, B. Farou, K. Bouafia, and H. Seridi, “Internet of Things and Blockchain Adoption in Food Supply Chain: A Survey,” IoT, vol. 6, no. 3, p. 51, Sep. 2025, doi: 10.3390/iot6030051.

Y.-T. Kim and D. A. Mills, “Exploring the gut microbiome: probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, and postbiotics as key players in human health and disease improvement,” Food Sci. Biotechnol., vol. 33, no. 9, pp. 2065–2080, Jul. 2024, doi: 10.1007/s10068-024-01620-1.

Z. F. Bhat, J. D. Morton, S. L. Mason, and A. E.-D. A. Bekhit, “Current and future prospects for the use of pulsed electric field in the meat industry,” Crit. Rev. Food Sci. Nutr., vol. 59, no. 10, pp. 1660–1674, May 2019, doi: 10.1080/10408398.2018.1425825.

Z. Liu, M. Zhang, B. Bhandari, and Y. Wang, “3D printing: Printing precision and application in food sector,” Trends Food Sci. Technol., vol. 69, pp. 83–94, Nov. 2017, doi: 10.1016/j.tifs.2017.08.018.

Published

2026-07-01

Issue

Section

Articles